KTIV NewsChannel 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsLongtime Sioux City business says they're land-locked; looks to expand elsewhere

Longtime Sioux City business says they're land-locked; looks to expand elsewhere

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) - You don't have be in Sioux City long to get caught by a train.  While it can be a headache for some, trains are an important part of Sioux City's past, present, and future, especially, when it comes to economic development.

The challenge for the city, is balancing the demands of local industry with the desires of local drivers.

Business has been anything but rocky for LG Everist, a road material and rail company with a transfer yard in Sioux City.   However, the company's suffering growing pains.

"I think the difficulty for them, and the other railroads is the lack of land where they are," Sioux City Economic Development Director Marty Dougherty explained. 

An area that was the focal point of the city, is today, a land locked maze of train tracks.  Although LG Everist's been doing business from here since 1888, they've looked at expanding inside city limits along the company's private rail line and across the border in South Dakota. But, North Sioux City's planning and zoning commission voted against a move to their community.  Company officials wouldn't comment on future plans, but Dougherty did.

"I think it's going to remain here in one location or another, or maybe remain where it is but expand in other locations," he said.

 At a million dollars a mile, new rail lines are expensive, making a move to the spacious Southbridge Industrial Park not an option.  Sioux City is in the midst of a major rail study focused both on the business and headaches of train transportation.

"We need to find some solutions that allow the rail yards to expand and not conflict with traffic and with other growth," Dougherty explained.

To help traffic move more smoothly, expect to see underpasses and bridges built around railroad tracks, like in the Outer Drive Extension Project.   Depending on the results of the study, construction on a viaduct on 18th street could start next, with work eventually moving down to the old stockyards.

Of course, this kind of work comes with a hefty price tag: tens of millions of dollars.  Depending on when funding is available, these changes could take several decades.